Learning Strategy: 10 Types of Analysis

Over the last four decades, learning strategy has evolved and is becoming a priority for many organizations looking to make a transformational change. The role is becoming more specialized as new modalities are introduced. Today, we take a comprehensive but specialized approach to learning strategy to maximize value and accelerate the rate of change. We spend more on the analysis, but we are targeting the learner experience and its relationship to work.

The Analysis

Typically, the first deliverable of a learning strategy is creating a plan that outlines the questions to be asked, the experts to be consulted, and any data that needs to be gathered. This is a key component of any effective learning strategy – according to McKinsey & Company, only 40% of companies say their learning strategy is aligned with their business goals. One of the primary roles of a Learning Strategist is performing this needs analysis to help assess an organization’s current situation and future objectives, to establish a clear learning roadmap moving forward. There are many different types of analyses that can be used depending on the specific learning goals. The exact activities of the analysis will be determined by the types of questions being asked.

10 Types of Learning Strategy Analysis

When developing a learning strategy for your team, there a various types of analysis that may be helpful. A learning strategist can help determine which type/types of analysis would work best for you based on your goals, budget, and timeframe. We have highlighted 10 key types of analysis:

1. Rapid – Provides scalable, high-level analysis when there isn’t time for a full analysis.
2. Performance – Focuses on gaps in learner performance.
3. Job Task – Maps the tasks of a particular role to the training needs.
4. Content – Looks at the content for accuracy, efficacy, and alignment with needs.
5. Curriculum – Audits an existing program to look at efficacy, etc.
6. Technology – Looks at the learning technology used in the organization as compared to the needs.
7. ROI – Posts hypothetical return on investing in training (if done prior).
8. Change Readiness – Assess the impact of change and the strategies for managing it.
9. Leadership – Focuses on leadership and the specific training of that group.
10. Benchmarking – Compares the learning challenges with solutions implemented by other organizations.

Having a learning strategy in place is a path to success and will help you make the best decisions about the people, technologies, and priorities for you and your team, within your budget and timeline.